Pico Rivera City Council

Pico Rivera population: 59,177 Election: April 14 On the ballot: Six candidates for two at-large seats INCUMBENT Garth G. Gardner Age: 69 Occupation: Real estate appraiser Remarks: "I've been on the board 20 years. . . . I'm proud of the upward movement the city has taken in its image . . . proud of the development of the city, the parks and Whittier Boulevard."

For horse owners such as Jorge Mansilla, Pico Rivera's plans to close dozens of stables at a city park along the San Gabriel River would spell the end of a once-thriving equestrian culture. "It'll have a huge effect," said Mansilla, a local real estate agent who has boarded five horses at the stables for nearly a decade. "We don't have anywhere to go."

The Pico Rivera City Council has adopted an urgency ordinance prohibiting the display and use of replica firearms in a threatening manner. The ordinance was considered at the request of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which has adopted a similar ordinance and asked that all cities in the county do the same.

This morning, the day after the primary, Gregory Salcido will be back at El Rancho High, teaching his 8 o'clock history class. By now he will know, and his students will, too, that he won't be leaving in January to go to Washington, D.C., won't be raising his hand and swearing to preserve, protect and defend, so help him God. I am not inviting "Dewey Defeats Truman" headlines by writing this before the polls closed on Tuesday.

Dan Pina's death threw a curveball to little sluggers in Pico Rivera, but the Rivera Baseball Assn. has rallied to pay tribute to its supporter and coach in time for the season's March 23 opener. Pina, who died at 59 of kidney failure on Christmas Day, will be honored with a plaque set in a boulder overlooking the baseball diamond at Rivera Park, home of the community youth league formed in 1959. Etched on the monument will be the words, "Your field of dreams will continue on."

The Pico Rivera City Council has voted unanimously to not enforce the city's ban on lawn parking on street sweeping days until the Planning Commission can consider amending the ordinance. The ban on lawn parking went into effect July 1, and City Hall was deluged with hundreds of calls from residents complaining that they had nowhere else to park on street sweeping days because Pico Rivera does not have alternate-side sweeping.

A residents' group said it will appeal a city Design Review Board decision to allow an automobile shredding company to open in Pico Rivera. "There's going to be noise pollution, traffic pollution and air pollution, a generation of hazardous waste much in excess of what they say is going to be in there," organizer Bernie Lehrer said. His group's appeal would be heard by the Pico Rivera City Council about 30 days after it is filed, city officials said.

The City Council will consider issuing $3 million in bonds that would allow the city to repay sales tax revenue that courts have ruled was improperly collected from aerospace firms. The city is one of about 150 statewide that must reimburse the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars during the next five years. Pico Rivera owes $2.8 million, plus interest. The refunds stem from a case brought in the early 1980s by El Segundo-based Aerospace Corp.

Pico Rivera officials and police are trying to put an end to cruising, in which scores of juveniles and adults take to the streets at night to show off their cars and socialize. Over the past two months, police have been stepping up efforts to curb the crusing along Whittier Boulevard and other main streets on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. "We're optimistic that enforcement efforts are working," said Sgt. Rick Adams of the county Sheriff's Department.

In the city's first recall election, Pico Rivera voters ejected two city councilmen Tuesday after 11 candidates lined up to fill the positions. Pending a final ballot count today, the city's newest council members appear to be businessman Carlos A. Garcia, who was leading a field of five candidates to replace Mayor John Chavez, and E. A. "Pete" Ramirez, a housing authority lieutenant for the city of Los Angeles who was ahead of five other candidates vying for Councilman Gil De La Rosa's seat.

Reacting to fears about toxic waste in Pico Rivera, Mayor John G. Chavez on Thursday called for a special committee to negotiate a compromise on the storage of hazardous chemicals in the city. Chavez asked seven community leaders to join him in a dialogue with Southern California Gas Co.

A group of Pico Rivera residents, surprised in September when state officials notified them that the Gas Co. had applied for a 10-year permit to store toxic waste in the city, has failed in a recall effort against four of the city's council members. The Good Government Committee had until 5:30 p.m. Thursday to submit petitions to recall Mayor Garth Gardner and council members John Chavez, Beatrice Proo and Gil De La Rosa.

Dan Pina's death threw a curveball to little sluggers in Pico Rivera, but the Rivera Baseball Assn. has rallied to pay tribute to its supporter and coach in time for the season's March 23 opener. Pina, who died at 59 of kidney failure on Christmas Day, will be honored with a plaque set in a boulder overlooking the baseball diamond at Rivera Park, home of the community youth league formed in 1959. Etched on the monument will be the words, "Your field of dreams will continue on."

For Pico Rivera City Councilwoman Helen O'Hara, this has been a season of bad news. She's faced a recall petition, a misdemeanor battery charge and then two more charges of vandalism and theft. But the freshman councilwoman has finally won a round. A count of recall petitions has found insufficient signatures to force O'Hara into an election, reports City Clerk Christine Schaefer. "This is just one more monkey off my back," O'Hara said Tuesday as she prepared for her Aug.

The City Council will consider issuing $3 million in bonds that would allow the city to repay sales tax revenue that courts have ruled was improperly collected from aerospace firms. The city is one of about 150 statewide that must reimburse the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars during the next five years. Pico Rivera owes $2.8 million, plus interest. The refunds stem from a case brought in the early 1980s by El Segundo-based Aerospace Corp.

The most interesting and intense politics in the Southland these days are the politics of the defense business. Politicians are moving into action because of the possibility that the Cold War's end will mean cutbacks in defense plants from Long Beach to Palmdale. If peace has a price, a good part of it will be paid by city council members whose constituencies include unemployed defense workers.

The Rev. A. Brent Cobb, 43, has become director of New Life ministries and senior pastor at New Life Church of the Nazarene in Long Beach, a congregation of predominantly Cambodian refugees. Cobb has been pastor of Sacramento First Church of the Nazarene for four years. Before that, he pastored in Dallas and was a missionary 10 years in Korea.

Plans to construct a gymnasium and community center at Pico Park were set back last week when the City Council unanimously rejected all eight bids to build the project. The bids were at least $200,000 higher than the city could afford, said Assistant City Manager Ann Negendank. The lowest bid for building the 23,000-square-foot gymnasium was $2.5 million. The high bid was $3.4 million. The city might seek new bids and also will explore options that could cut construction costs.

The City Council this week directed city officials to draw up an ordinance to impose a 5% utility tax on residents and businesses. If approved later this month, utility users could see the tax on gas, electric and telephone bills by October, said City Manager Dennis Courtemarche. Officials estimate that the tax could generate as much as $2.5 million annually. Proceeds from the new tax would be used largely to maintain the city's reserve and to pay for emergency purchases.